The idea of living and working remotely in a beautiful overseas city is a dream for many young people today. A digital nomad is someone who works online while traveling, often moving between different locations rather than being tied to a single office or home. This lifestyle not only allows you to explore and experience new places but also provides the flexibility and time needed to fully immerse yourself in a foreign culture and lifestyle.
While the concept itself may have seemed a bit foreign no longer than ten years ago, now, thanks to flexible work policies and internet-driven technology, the digital nomad lifestyle doesn’t have to be just a dream.
According to recent research, a quarter of U.S. businesses plan to maintain completely flexible work policies. As a result, 26% of Millennial and Gen Z workers plan to make the digital nomad dream a reality in 2025.
With the popularity of the digital nomad lifestyle growing amongst younger generations, we were curious to see just which cities make for the best options for those wanting to work remotely from abroad. As such, we ranked 30 of the most popular cities for digital nomads across ten different criteria, including cost of living, availability of coworking space, average rent, internet speed, and the happiness of the local population, among others.
According to our findings, the best cities for digital nomads are as follows:
City | Score (out of 100) |
Chiang Mai, Thailand | 68.68 |
Budapest Hungary | 68 |
Prague, Czech Republic | 66.01 |
Bangkok, Thailand | 65.65 |
Madrid, Spain | 65.33 |
Buenos Aires, Argentina | 61 |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 60.68 |
Medellin, Colombia | 60.66 |
Tokyo, Japan | 59.66 |
Barcelona, Spain | 58.66 |
Tbilisi, Georgia | 55.66 |
Lisbon, Portugal | 54.33 |
Jakarta, Indonesia | 54.33 |
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | 53 |
Copenhagen, Denmark | 51.99 |
Mexico City, Mexico | 51.66 |
Asuncion, Paraguay | 50.67 |
Rome, Italy | 49.35 |
Santiago, Chile | 48 |
Berlin, Germany | 47.36 |
Singapore | 46.66 |
Split, Croatia | 45.99 |
Cape Town, South Africa | 45.98 |
Austin, Texas, U.S.A. | 45.34 |
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. | 43 |
Athens, Greece | 42.34 |
Sydney, Australia | 42.01 |
Auckland, New Zealand | 40.67 |
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A. | 38.33 |
Hong Kong, China | 34 |
Top 5 Cities for Digital Nomads
While every city on the list is sure to suit digital nomads, the top five offer a little more in terms of lifestyle and accessibility. According to our findings, here are the top five best cities for digital nomads.
1. Chiang Mai, Thailand
Chiang Mai is the largest city in the mountainous region of northern Thailand and is the top choice for young workers looking to live overseas. It offers a dreamy mix of ancient temples, lively festivals, and a welcoming community. Its warm, tropical climate and delicious, affordable Northern Thai cuisine make it an attractive and comfortable place to live.
Chang Mai ranks atop the list for a number of reasons. Not only does Thailand offer digital nomad visas, but Chiang Mai also scored highly in a number of categories, including cost of living, average rent ($227.66), internet speed (237.8 Mbps), and safety. For those looking for a tropical mountain paradise with a rich culture and history, Chang Mai is a can’t-miss remote-working opportunity.
2. Budapest, Hungary
Hungary’s capital city, Budapest, ranks as the second-best option for young digital nomads seeking new experiences in a foreign country. It provides the perfect blend of old-world charm and modern buzz, with stunning architecture, ruin bars, and thermal baths to soak your stress away. Plus, it boasts an affordable cost of living, amazing food, and a nightlife that keeps the city alive until sunrise.
Budapest scored highly in categories such as cost of internet ($20.01), safety, and cost of coworking space ($150 per month). Hungary also offers visas specifically for digital nomads looking to take advantage of the country’s endless charms, making it an ideal choice for those wanting an Eastern European experience.
3. Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is like stepping into a fairytale, with its stunning castles, cobbled streets, and magical old-town vibe. Throw in great beer, a buzzing arts scene, and a super walkable city, and it’s no wonder why it comes in third on our list of the best cities for digital nomads.
Like with other top-ranking cities, those wishing to live abroad in Prague have access to digital nomad visas that enable you to live in the Czech Republic for up to a year, with an option to renew for longer. Prague also scored highly across categories like the cost of internet ($16.99), safety, quality of life, and population happiness. If you want to live and work in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, Prague is a sure-to-please option you won’t want to pass up.
4. Bangkok, Thailand
Coming in fourth on the list, Bangkok is a wild mix of futuristic skylines, ancient temples, and street food that’ll blow your mind. With its buzzing nightlife, endless markets, and never-a-dull-moment energy, Bangkok offers digital nomads an unforgettable experience that feels like an adventure every day.
Bangkok scored highly across categories, including cost of living, average rent ($302.34), and internet speed (266.55 Mbps). If a vibrant and truly unique city in Southeast Asia is your ideal digital nomad destination, Bangkok is sure to have everything you want and more.
5. Madrid, Spain
Centrally located in Spain, Madrid is the cultural capital of the Iberian Peninsula. It boasts sunny vibes, late-night tapas, and a city that never seems to sleep. With its rich history, lively plazas, and a culture that celebrates good food and good company, it’s no wonder Madrid ranks so highly on our list.
Not only does Spain offer digital nomad-specific visas, but Madrid also scored highly in categories like quality of life, safety, and the number of available coworking spaces (over 170). For those wanting a digital nomad experience in a gorgeous Spanish city with a rich cultural history, Madrid is a perfect option.
Staying Connected While Abroad
Although the digital nomad lifestyle provides a wealth of benefits, from getting to live in and explore new cities around the world to immersing in rich global cultures, it can be difficult to stay connected with friends, family, and colleagues in your home country.
While a local phone number in your chosen country may be fine for everyday use, foreign number formats and country codes make it challenging for those trying to reach you from abroad. With a virtual phone number, your connections back home can easily call you using a familiar phone number format that routes calls directly to your chosen phone line.
Just because you’re living overseas, it doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected with people back home. Explore our wide selection of virtual phone numbers to learn more.
Methodology
The cities selected for our study were chosen from a collection of the most popular digital nomad destinations. Each city was then ranked for ten criteria, including cost of living, number of coworking spaces, cost of coworking space, average rent, internet speed, internet cost, population happiness, quality of life, safety, and whether the city’s country offers a digital nomad visa.
Each city could earn up to ten points for each category for a possible total of 100 points. Points per category were determined based on where the city ranked against the rest of field except in the “digital nomad visa” category which awarded cities 10 points if their country offers a specific digital nomad visa and 0 points if they do not offer a such a visa.
Sources
Cost of Living
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings_current.jsp
Safety
https://www.numbeo.com/crime/rankings_current.jsp
Number of Coworking Spaces
https://www.startupblink.com/coworking-spaces
Cost of Coworking Space (Monthly price per hot desk)
https://coworkinginsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-Hot-Desk-Price-Index-1.pdf
Average Monthly Rent
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/prices_by_city.jsp?itemId=27
Internet Speed
https://www.speedtest.net/global-index
Cost of Internet
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/internet-cost-by-country
Digital Nomad Visas
https://citizenremote.com/blog/digital-nomad-visa-countries/
Population Happiness Score
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/happiest-countries-in-the-world
Quality of Life
https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings_current.jsp
Additional Sources
https://www.howdy.com/blog/digital-nomad-statistics
https://www.forbes.com/sites/karadennison/2024/12/12/an-update-on-return-to-office-policies-as-we-enter-2025/
Images
https://www.pexels.com/photo/architectural-design-of-an-orange-temple-2956618/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/aerial-photo-of-city-near-river-2600763/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/architecture-bridge-building-structures-castle-126292/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-standing-beside-parked-trikes-2078248/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-city-during-dawn-3757144/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-black-long-sleeve-shirt-sitting-on-chair-3767406/